As I step into the rustic Braun Center, I am greeted with sounds of middle schoolers saying their “Thank yous” to the new Middle and Upper School Orchestra teacher, Ms. Rachel Counihan. After saying goodbye to her students, Ms. Counihan turns to me with a contagious smile and welcomes me to Braun. Her striped shirt reminds me of a sheet of music. In our conversation, it’s clear that music runs through every aspect of  Ms. Counihan’s life.

“I’ve always had music in my life in some way, shape, or form,” said Ms. Counihan. She describes her childhood as having music playing all the time, which eventually guided her into working with music. 

Born and raised in Granada Hills, California, Ms. Counihan describes herself as a “true valley girl,” but she’s also a loving dog owner, a huge fan of the Lakers and Dodgers, a talented pickle ball player, and has the melodies of the violin flowing from her fingers. “I was in everything in high school,” said Ms. Counihan. Growing up, she was part of the spring musicals, choir, and a cappella groups.

As a teacher, she draws from her experiences in her own high school music classes to now teach the high school Glee Club and orchestra for the Upper and Middle School students. She is currently working on her master’s in music education from the American Band College of Central Washington University and hopes to complete the program this summer.

Her passion for music was what drove her into entering the music field. She was actually notified about the Westridge job opening by a friend, and at first glance, she fell in love with the position. She told herself,  “Oh my gosh, this is perfect! I need to be here.” She was beyond happy to find out she had the opportunity to join Westridge’s faculty and staff this year.

“I’m really excited to be a part of this community,” she said

Though she has only been teaching at Westridge for less than a few months, she can already detect her students’ passion for learning. “Everyone is very excited and enthusiastic and really supportive.” Ms. Counihan has already made many connections with students and faculty. “Westridge feels like a really welcoming community,” she said.